Bay Trees and Blackbirds

Two questions in one.

I have a fairly large bay tree, which I am going to give a serious lopping [or rather which Mrs Skiver is going to give a serious lopping - I do constructive gardening, she does destructive]. I was thinking of trying to root some of the branches into ornamentals - does anyone know if this is likely to work?

But last night I saw a male blackbird fly into the tree on a couple of occasions. I've never heard of a blackbird nesting in a bay before, they tend to be hedge nesters. Does anyone think it likely that there is a nest in there, as if there is it is going to be hard to see before we start lopping?

 

They would nest in Bay or Laurel but it should be getting towards young ens flying time unless its a second clutch...if you hold on for a week or so they should be out soon

 

The blackbirds in my ivy have just started popping back and forth with edible morsels- their second brood - their first just one chick was in a conifer. Blackbirds will nest in all kinds. I have a feeling that the cold snap put some nesters back. If they are clutching nest building materiel, then no eggs yet, if food, then babies present. From egg to falling out of the nest (unlike tits, they don't seem to fly straight away) takes four to six weeks.

 

Yup I had Blackbirds in my Baytree every year,and Robins in my Yucca just below it,real funny how they used to manage to avoid each other.the Bay I think I told every one was as high as the house when I left Cambridge last year, and yes I grew it from a heeled cutting.
I used to give it a bit of a trim in the Autumn then hang the branches in the kitchen to dry very tasty in milk puddings and stews.